


The Sea Don't Care

by carolinecrane



Category: Island City (1994)
Genre: Accidental Dating, M/M, Size Kink, Yuleporn, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-02-28 11:10:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2730215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the trouble with being a genius is that you just can't let things go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sea Don't Care

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eirenical (chibi1723)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibi1723/gifts).



“Seriously, never? With anyone.”

They were on their second -- or was it third? -- post-mission drink. It was the first mission since Andy had been cleared for active duty again, but instead of joining 23 for their usual celebratory drink, he’d gone straight back to his quarters and his family. 

Not that Greg blamed him. A brush with death like Andy’s was enough to make anyone want to spend as much time with his wife and son as possible, at least for a while. It wasn’t a question of abandoning Greg, even if it felt that way, a little.

Still, Mendi was around to keep him company, and he’d even turned out to be a pretty okay guy, so Greg didn’t really mind. He wasn’t sure how they’d gotten back on the subject of Mendi’s government-imposed celibacy; he hadn’t meant to bring it up again, but the fact was he’d found himself wondering more than once since Mendi first confided in him.

The look Mendi was giving him now made him wish he’d kept his mouth shut, and Greg wasn’t sure why he didn’t change the subject while he had the chance. Maybe it was the weird, unsettling images that flashed in his mind every so often when he let his guard down. Maybe it was the two -- three -- drinks he’d downed since they got to the bar. Either way, instead of taking Mendi’s look as a sign that he should drop it, Greg leaned a little further across the table and dropped his voice to a stage whisper.

“It’s okay, your secret’s safe with me.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Mendi said. He was still glowering from under his prominent brow, but there was a faint hint of pink traveling along his cheekbones. If Greg didn’t know better...but no, he had to be wrong. There was definitely no way Mendi was _blushing_. 

Still, if Mendi wasn’t compatible with anyone in polite society...realization dawned on Greg slowly, and he felt his mouth drop open. He hadn’t thought someone as...rigid as Mendi would have it in him, but of course there were alternatives to polite society. Not that Greg had any first-hand knowledge; there weren’t any sanctions on clones reproducing, though judging by his brothers, Greg wasn’t entirely sure why.

The fact remained, however, that he was free to seek out an eligible woman with a green implant and settle down the way Andy had. No one had ever asked him why he hadn’t bothered. Maybe it was because they’d met his brothers. 

“So you...I mean, I’ve heard about places you can go...but I always thought they were just rumors.”

For a second Mendi just frowned at him, then his expression turned the kind of dark that 23 hadn’t seen since those first few days when Andy was missing. “If you’re referring to the rec brothels, I wouldn’t set foot in one of those places, and anyone who would suggest it doesn’t know anything about me.”

“No, I didn’t...I mean, I know you wouldn’t...considering how you...I mean _who_ you...” Greg heard himself babble, but even though he knew he was digging himself a little deeper with every word, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from talking. “I mean...sorry.”

And it just figured Greg 13 wasn’t around when 23 needed him; at the moment he would have welcomed one of his degenerate brothers turning up to knock him senseless so he wouldn’t have to see the look on Mendi’s face. Of _course_ he wouldn’t visit the rec brothels; given what had happened to Mendi’s mother, there was no way he’d support something like that. Sure, he was willing to shoot recs who were threatening his team on away missions, but that was different than paying for the dubious privilege of having sex with a female rec.

Granted, Mendi was half-rec himself, so it would be less weird for him than it would be for, say, Greg. Or maybe that would make it even more weird. The harder he thought about it, the more Greg’s head felt like it was spinning, so he stopped trying to puzzle it out and looked at Mendi again. “Sorry.”

Mendi waved a hand as though dismissing the apology, or maybe the entire conversation. Greg wouldn’t even mind; his stomach was tied in knots as it was, and he had a feeling if they didn’t change the subject soon, it was just going to get worse.

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not,” Greg said, though he could have kicked himself as soon as the words escaped his lips. Mendi was trying to let him off the hook, after all, so he wasn’t sure why he was fighting so hard to stay on it. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

For a second or two Mendi just frowned at him, and Greg half expected him to get up and storm off. Instead he let out a sort of sigh and leaned forward to lower his voice. “The government forbids me to _reproduce_. They don’t forbid other forms of intimacy.”

“But...” Greg began, then stopped, his face flushing bright red. Because he was smart -- brilliant, even -- and he should have realized the first time they had this conversation. It wasn’t unheard of, after all; reproduction _was_ strictly controlled, and that meant the stigma about couples who couldn’t reproduce had been more or less done away with when Island City was founded. “I just...when you said the government forbade you...well, you made it sound like you’d prefer to be...you know...with a woman.”

“Reactions to my interest in other men tend to be unpredictable, even under the circumstances. I don’t make it a point to mention it in mixed company.”

Greg swallowed the urge to bristle at the idea of being referred to as ‘mixed company’. He hadn’t exactly given Mendi the warmest of welcomes, after all, and even after they called a truce, he’d still assumed that Mendi would be sleeping with women if his choice hadn’t been taken away by the government. Which was pretty unfair of Greg, considering, so maybe Mendi had good reason not to trust him.

"Understandable," Greg said in what he hoped was a reasonable tone. "But we're friends, right? Friends should be able to tell each other...things."

Mendi’s smile seemed kind of forced, though it was hard to tell with him. "So what about you? The doctor's sister seemed interested, and you're clearly compatible."

"I don't think passing my DNA on would be such a great idea," Greg answered, flashing a rueful smile over the top of his mostly empty glass. "You've met my brothers."

Mendi nodded as though it was a perfectly reasonable excuse, but he was still _looking_ , and Greg felt the tips of his ears heat up this time. He wasn't even sure why, because it wasn't as though Mendi had expressed an interest in _him_. But he was looking at Greg as though the answer was important, and it was enough to make Greg wonder.

"You are not like your brothers," Mendi said, finally. He was staring as though it was important to him that Greg understood the point he was making, so Greg nodded even though he had no clue what Mendi was trying to say.

"Believe me, I know. They like to remind me every chance they get how completely uncoordinated I am."

"That's not what I meant." Mendi let out what sounded like a frustrated sigh, then he glanced toward the door to the bar, and Greg braced himself for Mendi to make an excuse and leave. "I've only met a few of them, but from what I've heard, you're the cream of the crop. There's a reason they made you an officer and the rest of them were left to their own devices."

"Sure, because the government couldn't get away with putting all of us down."

The thought sent the same chill through 23 that it always did, but he suppressed a shudder and hoped Mendi wouldn't notice. The last thing he wanted was pity, especially from someone who'd been through what Mendi had. Only the frown on Mendi’s face didn’t look much like pity, and for some reason that made 23 feel a little better.

“What I meant is that you are better than your brothers.”

“Well, technically you’ve only met a tiny percentage of them, but I’ll take it. Thanks,” Greg said, grinning when Mendi’s features relaxed into something like a smile.

Mendi wasn’t flirting with him, Greg was fairly sure. Mendi probably didn’t even know _how_ to flirt. Hell, he was so strong he could just take what he wanted, not that he would. The second the thought occurred to him an image appeared in Greg’s mind, of Mendi grabbing him and manhandling him up against a wall or the table or his bed, rough hands holding Greg tight enough to leave bruises. Greg swallowed hard, willing away the warm flush creeping up his neck and downing the rest of his drink.

“So I should probably call it a night,” Greg said, standing up and managing not to knock his chair over. He knocked over his glass instead, blushing even harder when Mendi caught it and set it carefully back on the table.

“Everything okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Sure,” Greg stammered, taking a step backwards and stumbling over his own feet. “I just...I’m gonna go.”

He turned around before Mendi could stop him, focusing as hard as he could on putting one foot in front of the other so he wouldn’t embarrass himself any more than he already had. He wasn’t even sure what his problem was, because until tonight he’d never thought about Mendi that way. Then again, until tonight he hadn’t realized it was a possibility, and now that he knew...

Now that he knew it probably didn’t make any difference, because even if Mendi was interested in him, Greg had just run out on him and probably ruined whatever moment they’d been having. If they’d been having a moment. Greg had no idea, and thanks to the fact that he’d ditched Mendi and run back to his quarters, he was never going to know for sure.

~

The next time he saw Mendi was during their mission briefing the next day. It was the third time that week they’d picked up a distress signal from settlers outside the city, and the entire team was starting to feel the strain. Rec activity had picked up quite a bit in the area surrounding Island City in the past few months, and Greg privately wondered how long the city would be able to support all the refugees and recs they kept bringing back from away missions.

No one else seemed all that worried about it, though, so he kept his misgivings to himself and focused on making sure his team got back safely after every mission. The last thing they needed was another repeat of the Andy situation; that had been bad enough, and Greg was in no hurry to go through it again.

The truth was he liked being part of a team, liked belonging to something in a way he’d never really belonged with his brothers. He thought of these people as his family, and lately that included Mendi, too. It was kind of a strange realization, given the way things had started between them, but they were..well, friends now, and that meant he wanted to keep Mendi safe.

Not that he’d ever say so out loud, mainly because Mendi would probably laugh in his face at the thought of Greg doing anything to keep him safe. He was stronger than all of them, and if anyone was going to keep anyone safe, it was Mendi. Mendi with his big, strong hands and his solid chest, legs like tree trunks and arms that could hold Greg down and take whatever he wanted.

Heat pooled in the pit of Greg’s stomach and he cleared his throat, shifting in his chair and attempting to focus on whatever Valdoon was saying. It wasn’t easy when Mendi was standing next to him, strong arms crossed over his chest, jaw set in that serious line that said he was taking in every word Valdoon said.

Greg wondered if Valdoon was the type of man Mendi went for. Maybe he was into authority, or maybe he just liked guys with the movie star good looks the Colonel had managed to hang onto, thanks to the serum. Then again, the serum was the reason Mendi was treated like a freak everywhere he went, so if he was into that...well, it was kind of messed up.

“23? Are you with us?”

Greg blinked and dragged his gaze away from Mendi’s jaw to focus on Valdoon, his ears burning when he realized the entire team was looking at him. 

“Yes, sir.”

“I hope so, because we need everyone’s head in the game on this one. The recs seem to be growing in number, and there are settlers out there counting on us.”

“Yes, sir,” Greg said again as the rest of the team filed out of the room. He hoped they were all distracted enough to miss the fact that his whole face was flushed, because there was no way he could explain the reason why.

He could barely explain it to himself. It wasn’t as though he’d never been attracted to a coworker before; he was only human, after all, regardless of his I.Q. But this was the first time he’d ever considered the possibility that something could come of it, and he had no idea how the rest of the team would react if something did happen between him and Mendi.

“Are you okay?”

Greg looked up at the sound of Mendi’s voice, swallowing hard at the concerned look on his face. “I’m fine.”

“You’re sure,” Mendi said, though it was obvious he didn’t believe it. Greg couldn’t even blame him, because he didn’t feel fine by a long shot.

“Sure,” Greg answered, flashing what he hoped was a convincing enough smile to get Mendi to drop it. “Listen, we should probably...”

He gestured in the direction the rest of the team had gone, glancing behind him to make sure none of them were hanging around listening. But it was just him and Mendi, and when Greg turned back to him, Mendi was still watching him as though he was trying to figure something out.

“Look, if I said anything to make you uncomfortable...”

“What?” Greg interrupted, frowning at Mendi. “Why would you...”

That was as far as he got before he heard footsteps behind him, and when he glanced over his shoulder this time, he found Andy glancing between them with a puzzled expression on his face. “You two working today or what?”

“Yes. Yeah,” Greg answered, frowning at Mendi for another second before he turned back to Andy. “Right behind you.”

He followed Andy out of the room without looking back at Mendi, but he listened for the sound of heavy footsteps, and after a beat or two Mendi followed them out of the briefing room and down the corridor toward the mobile transports. The footsteps followed him up the metal stairs into the transport, and when Greg lost his footing and stumbled backwards, a strong hand landed on the small of his back to steady him.

He swallowed and glanced in Mendi’s direction without really looking at him. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Mendi’s voice sounded the same as it always did, deep and rich and all business. But Greg felt it all the way to his toes anyway, and wow, he was really in trouble if even the sound of Mendi’s _walk_ was enough to knock him off balance.

Still, no one could argue that he had a great walk. He kind of had a great everything, now that Greg stopped to think about it, and that train of thought so wasn’t helping keep him focused on the mission. Neither was the warmth of Mendi in the seat next to him, solid thighs splayed just far enough to remind Greg that he was there. And he probably wasn’t doing it on purpose, but Greg could _feel_ him there all the same.

He risked a glance at Mendi’s profile, but if he knew what he was doing to Greg, he was doing a great job of hiding it. No one would be able to tell by looking at him that his mind was on anything except the mission. Maybe it wasn’t; maybe he’d already put their conversation behind him, taken Greg’s word for it that everything was fine and moved on.

Greg stole another glance at him, but this time Mendi looked back at him. Just for a second, but it was long enough to tell Greg that their conversation hadn’t been forgotten entirely. He wasn’t sure why it made him feel better, but by the time they were within range of the settlers’ distress signal, he mostly had his head back in the game.

Valdoon led the team off the transport and out into the Wasteland, and Greg heard him ordering Andy and Mendi to flank the settlers’ colony while Valdoon went in the front. Greg had spent his entire career staying behind to monitor the team while they did all the heavy lifting, and even though Greg knew his role in these missions was important, he never quite managed to shake the twinge of guilt at staying safe on the transport while the rest of his team risked their lives.

Making it worse was the fact that those were his friends out there coming face to face with vicious recs, and even Mendi’s superhuman strength didn’t make up for the fact that they were usually outnumbered. Then there was the fact that the recs aimed to kill -- at least when they’d managed to find a stash of ammunition for their ancient firearms -- and Valdoon insisted on tranquilizing only.

Greg understood why, and he mostly agreed with it. But when a member of his team had to be carried back onto the transport and patched up by the doctor, he felt a little less charitable about the lives of the recs than usual.

He stood up as the transport door opened, pressing back out of the way to watch Mendi help Connie limp inside. Andy was right behind her, leading a couple dazed looking settlers on board. 

“Are you okay?” Greg said, and he wasn’t even sure which of them he was talking to. Connie was in pain -- that much was obvious from the pinched expression she tried to hide as Mendi lowered her into a seat. Andy was as pale as he’d been when they found him stuck on that cliff, and Mendi...Mendi just looked exhausted. 

“Fine,” Connie answered, gritting her teeth as the doctor scanned her ankle. She glanced past Greg to look at Andy. “Did everybody make it out okay?”

“Yeah,” Andy said. “Valdoon’s got the rest of the settlers in the other transport.”

“Good.” Connie let out a sigh and closed her eyes, her hand closing around Andy’s when he knelt next to her and slid their fingers together. Greg just watched them for a few seconds, wondering how Ty was going to react when he found out that his mom had been injured this time.

Greg let out a breath and looked away from Connie and Andy to find Mendi watching him. His expression was unreadable, as usual, but Greg flushed anyway. He cleared his throat and looked away, tapping his headset to hail Valdoon.

“Everyone’s accounted for here, Colonel,” he said, stealing another involuntary glance at Mendi.

“Good. I’ll meet you in the medical bay,” Valdoon answered.

“Yes, sir,” Greg said, and for once he didn’t mind the distraction of a medical screening to keep his mind off everything that had happened in the last two days.

~

"I don't like these readings, 23."

Doctor Helding frowned down at her monitor as Greg stepped out of the scanner and pulled his shirt back on.

"What's the problem?"

"Your heart rate's accelerated, for one thing."

“I was worried about Connie.” It seemed like a reasonable excuse to him, but Doctor Helding didn’t look all that convinced. “Listen, Doc, I swear I’m fine.”

He could tell by the noise she made that she didn’t believe him, which was completely unfair, because he was telling the truth. Granted, there were other things on his mind besides the mission, and sure, he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep lately, but worrying about Connie had made all of that a lot worse.

“Your energy readings are way too low. You need to get some rest.”

“I will, Doc, honest.”

“Don’t worry, Doc, I’ll make sure he gets some shut-eye.” 

Greg started as an arm slid around his shoulder, and he glanced over to find Andy grinning at Helding.

“That goes for you, too, Andy,” Helding said, but her smile was softer this time. “I don’t want to see you back here until you’ve both gotten some sleep.”

“Why aren’t you with Connie?” Greg asked, frowning as Andy steered him out of the medbay. “Did Helding release her already?”

“No, but she’s sleeping. Doc says her ankle will be good as new when she wakes up, but she gave her something to keep her asleep so it actually gets the chance to heal before she runs off trying to save the world again.”

Andy’s grin was full of affection, and Greg couldn’t help smiling too. “So does that mean you’ve got time for a post-mission drink?”

Andy’s grin faded a little, and when he squeezed Greg’s shoulder, Greg knew what his answer was going to be. “Sorry, 23. I need to let Ty know what happened to his mom before he hears it from someone else.”

“Sure, of course,” Greg said, and he wasn’t disappointed, because of course Andy’s family came first. If anything he was annoyed with himself for forgetting about Ty, but then, he’d never had a family to worry if he didn’t come home at the end of the day.

The thought was sort of depressing, but he didn’t let it show on his face. Instead he smiled and clapped Andy on the back, giving him a little shove in the direction of the holoport that would take him to his quarters. “Go check on Ty. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

“You’re going to get that shut-eye Doc ordered, right?” Andy asked, one eyebrow raised like he was expecting to have to wrestle Greg away from his work station.

“A promise is a promise, right?” Greg answered. He smiled when Andy laughed, waving him through the holoport and watching the screen close on him before Greg turned and ran right into a solid wall of muscle.

Greg bounced off Mendi’s chest and stumbled backwards, blushing when warm hands closed around his biceps to steady him. He’d mostly made peace with his lack of coordination; given the choice between brains and brawn, he’d take the former any day. But it seemed that lately every time he saw Mendi, Greg managed to fall over himself, and frankly he’d had enough humiliation for one day already.

“How does someone so big manage to sneak up on people like that?”

Mendi frowned and looked Greg over before he let go of him. He didn’t move out of Greg’s personal space, however, which meant if Greg wanted to put any space between them he was going to have to risk tripping over himself again. “The doctor is right. Your heartbeat’s been accelerated all day.”

“How did you...oh, right, superhuman hearing,” Greg said, flushing even harder at the thought that Mendi had been eavesdropping on his _pulse_ all day. “Like I said, I was worried about Connie.”

“Lieutenant Sealle is going to be fine. And your heart was racing before she got hurt.”

Greg rolled his eyes but didn’t answer, because there was no way he was going to admit _why_ his pulse picked up speed every time Mendi was around. Then again, Mendi was the one who kept turning up to ask if he was okay, so maybe he already had an idea.

“Have you thought about putting in for a transfer to the Medbay?” Greg asked, and when Mendi smiled, he found himself smiling back. “I’m sure you could save Doc a ton of time with post-mission scans.”

“I don’t know if she’d agree with you, considering she keeps ordering me to take R&R.”

“You too, huh?” Greg said, and now he was grinning. “So do you feel like starting your R&R with a drink?”

“Actually I was thinking about just going to bed.”

“Oh,” Greg said, his smile faltering a little before he caught himself. He’d thought Mendi was flirting for a second, but if his radar was this far off, maybe he really did need some sleep. “Sure. I should probably get some sleep too.”

“I didn’t say anything about sleep.”

“Oh,” Greg said again, blinking up at Mendi as he took a step toward Greg. “I...oh.”

A hand closed around the front of his shirt, pulling him off balance, but when he stumbled, Mendi was right there to catch him. He pulled Greg hard against his chest, then he reached around Greg to tap the holoport control.

“Crew quarters, Level 6.”

Greg heard the soft whoosh of the wall disappearing behind him, but he barely had time for a glance before Mendi was hustling him through the opening. A second later they were on Level 6, and Mendi’s hand landed on Greg’s back to steer him toward a door at the far end of the hall. 

It felt like forever before they finally reached the door, then another eternity before Mendi punched in his lock code and manhandled Greg into his quarters. The door was barely closed before Greg found himself flat against it, the solid warmth of Mendi’s entire body pinning him against cool metal.

His hands landed on Greg’s hips, strong fingers flexing against his uniform pants as though he was afraid of gripping too hard. It was a valid fear, they both knew; Mendi had more strength than he knew what to do with, and Greg...didn’t. But just the thought of what those hands could do to him made Greg’s cock swell, and he pressed forward into the solid heat of Mendi’s body.

Greg’s hands closed around the front of Mendi’s jacket, fingers twisting in the fabric and hanging on as though he was worried Mendi might change his mind. “Why didn’t you say something last night?”

“You didn’t give me much of a chance. I thought maybe you weren’t comfortable with the conversation,” Mendi said, and for the first time Greg thought he heard a hint of uncertainty in Mendi’s voice.

“Yeah...I mean no...I mean...what I mean is that I started picturing...and I guess my brain short-circuited,” Greg stammered, and he was grateful Mendi was holding him up or he was sure he’d find some other way to embarrass himself.

“Some genius,” Mendi said, huffing a laugh that warmed Greg’s cheek and sent a fresh shiver down his spine.

“If you’re going to call me a freak again...” Greg began, but the rest of his sentence was lost when Mendi’s lips pressed against his. Hot and insistent, pressing Greg hard against the wall and _taking_ in a way that made Greg want to give him everything.

The fact that he didn’t really have a choice shouldn’t have turned him on as much as it did, but Greg arched up into him anyway, fingers scrabbling for more as he struggled to drag Mendi even closer. But there was no chance of him taking charge, not when Mendi was six inches taller and a hundred pounds heavier than Greg, pinning him against the wall without showing any inclination of letting him go any time soon.

Greg wasn’t complaining, though, because the solid press of Mendi’s hands on his hips and his chest on Greg’s torso meant he didn’t have to focus on keeping his balance for once. Instead he could slide his hands up Mendi’s chest, mapping too-warm skin trapped under a thin layer of fabric. He could slide his arms around Mendi’s neck, fingers pressing into his skin to drag him even closer.

The sound that escaped Mendi’s throat could only be described as a growl, and Greg shivered and slid one leg up to wrap around Mendi’s calf. It was like bracing himself against a tree trunk, and Greg couldn’t help laughing against Mendi’s lips as a strong hand slid down to grip his ass and angle his hips until their cocks slid together. 

“What were you picturing?”

The words were murmured against his lips, Mendi’s voice low and rough and it took a few seconds for Greg to register them. By the time he did Mendi’s mouth was on his neck, hot and open and Greg definitely didn’t let out a whine as he arched up into the sensation.

“What?”

As soon as he said it he regretted it, because Mendi pulled away to look down at him, and no amount of feeble pressure from Greg’s hands could get him to go back to what he’d been doing to Greg’s neck. Instead he let out a soft laugh, then he slid his thumb along Greg’s bottom lip, gaze following the progress of his finger before he looked up at Greg again.

“You said you were picturing something when your giant brain short-circuited. So what were you picturing?”

“Well at first I was imagining what it would be like when you finally let out all those years of pent-up sexual frustration.”

Mendi laughed again, low in his throat and sending a fresh shiver down Greg’s spine. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Definitely not disappointed,” Greg said, his hands sliding over Mendi’s chest as he spoke. “Though I might be if we don’t get rid of some of these clothes soon.”

The hands holding him up disappeared, and Mendi grinned and took a step backwards to tug his shirt over his head. Greg swallowed at the sight of muscles flexing under all that skin. He knew how strong Mendi was; he’d seen Mendi pick up a rec and throw him, after all, but there was a difference between seeing Mendi in action and seeing him up close.

“So what else have you been picturing?” Mendi asked as he reached for the hem of Greg’s shirt with one hand, the other on Greg’s back to hold him up while he eased the shirt over Greg’s head.

“You know...things.” 

Greg let out a noise that definitely wasn’t a gasp as Mendi tugged his fly open and slid his zipper down. His boots were still on, which was definitely going to be a problem, but when Greg attempted to help out by toeing out of one of them, he overbalanced and started to fall. Before he had time to panic Mendi’s hands were back, catching his hips to steady him against the wall. 

“Your heart is racing again.”

“Given the circumstances it’s not that surprising, is it?”

Mendi grinned at that, pressing a warm hand to the center of Greg’s chest to feel his heart pound. “You know Doctor Helding wouldn’t approve of you overexerting yourself.”

“I never would have figured you for a tease,” Greg answered, trying and failing to look annoyed when Mendi laughed. His hand left Greg’s chest, and that wasn’t what Greg had been going for, but when Mendi slid to his knees and reached for one of Greg’s boots, he decided against complaining.

Mendi on his knees was more than Greg had let himself imagine. He’d pictured Mendi taking charge, as no-nonsense about taking what he wanted as he was when he was fighting recs. He’d pictured the part when Mendi pressed him against the wall and held him there, then kissed him like he wanted to be sure Greg understood his intentions. He’d pictured Mendi stripping him with military efficiency, then tossing Greg on the bed and just...taking.

What he hadn’t expected was Mendi carefully unlacing his boots one by one, then easing them off slowly so Greg didn’t lose his balance and humiliate himself again. He didn’t expect the look on Mendi’s face when he reached for Greg’s pants, or the way Mendi held his gaze while he slid them down Greg’s thighs.

A large hand wrapped around Greg’s bare calf, and when Mendi eased his foot off the floor Greg took the hint and gripped Mendi’s shoulder for balance while he stepped out of his pants. Watching Mendi take his time undressing Greg was frustrating, and there was a part of him that wished Mendi would just grab him and toss him on the bed now that he was finally out of most of his clothes. But there was another part of him that liked the way Mendi was looking at him, sitting back on his heels to study Greg’s exposed skin as though he was committing the image to memory.

And that was something else Greg hadn’t been expecting, because he was the man of science, and Mendi was supposed to be a man of action. Mendi was the one with all the muscles, too, so if anybody should be staring it was Greg. But the look on Mendi’s face was almost...tender, as though he really was worried about wearing Greg out. 

Greg wanted to laugh at the thought, but the sound turned into a groan when Mendi reached out to run his thumb along head of Greg’s cock where it pressed against his RCF issue briefs. Mendi’s touch was gentle at first, almost tentative, but when Greg groaned again and arched up for more, Mendi let out a growl and palmed the length of Greg’s dick.

He pushed up further onto his knees, the hand not working Greg’s cock pressing against Greg’s hip to hold him up. How Mendi could tell Greg’s knees had started to tremble a little he wasn’t sure, because Greg was pretty sure he couldn’t hear that the way he could hear Greg’s heart pounding. He could definitely hear Greg’s sharp intake of breath when Mendi’s mouth landed on his hipbone, though, hot and wet and working its way along Greg’s abdomen until he reached the wet spot beginning to form at the front of Greg’s briefs.

In his wildest dreams Greg never would have imagined Mendi sucking his cock through his underwear, tongue teasing his slit through the thin layer of material until Greg was breathing hard and rocking up against the hand still holding him steady. Both Greg’s hands were braced on Mendi’s shoulders now, fingers digging in hard to keep himself upright as Mendi slid Greg’s briefs down until his cock sprang free.

Greg barely had a second to register the sudden change in temperature before warm fingers gripped the base of his cock, thumb sliding across the slick head and dragging a fresh moan out of Greg. His legs were trembling hard enough now that there was no way Mendi could miss it, even without superhuman senses, so Greg wasn’t surprised when he let go completely and stood up.

He braced himself for Mendi to try to call things off, to claim Greg really was too exhausted and they should quit before Mendi managed to break him. But they’d already waited a whole day, thanks to Greg ditching Mendi in the club for no good reason, and there was no way he was letting Mendi change his mind now.

“You must have a bed around here somewhere.”

Mendi laughed, soft and deep and the sound sent another jolt of warmth to curl in Greg’s stomach. He stood back far enough to let Greg step out of his underwear, then his hands were on Greg’s hips again to drag him toward the bedroom. He wasn’t carrying Greg, exactly, but it was close enough to remind Greg of exactly how strong he was. And maybe he should have been offended that Mendi was basically dragging him to bed, but the truth was that this was exactly what Greg had been hoping for since last night.

“This good enough?” Mendi asked, grinning when Greg laughed and dragging him forward for another kiss. 

“It’s a little small,” Greg answered when they came up for air. He glanced over his shoulder at the standard issue single officer’s bed. It wasn’t that big, considering Mendi’s size, but it would hold them both, and that was all that mattered.

“Complain to the RCF,” Mendi said. He let go of Greg and stepped backwards, making a show of sliding his zipper down, and Greg grinned and sat on the edge of the bed to watch. 

“I think we can...” Greg began, but when Mendi hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his briefs and slid them down, Greg’s brain short circuited again. “...make it...work,” he finished, voice cracking a little on the last few words.

For a minute Mendi just stood there and looked at him, overlarge hands planted on his overlarge hips and his overlarge dick on full display. “Look, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Fine,” Greg said, but his voice cracked again and he had to swallow hard before he continued. “I’m great. Perfect. I’m just...wow.”

“So this isn’t one of the things you were picturing?” Mendi asked, frowning a little like maybe he was vaguely offended. It would have been funny, except he was still _talking_ , and that wasn’t getting them anywhere.

“Let’s just say imagination didn’t live up to reality,” Greg answered, pushing himself up onto his knees with as much care as he could manage. He crawled forward on the bed, and as if on instinct, Mendi reached out to steady him. The movement brought him to the edge of the mattress, and Greg swallowed again and reached between them to close a hand around Mendi’s dick.

It had been a while since he’d been with anyone, and even longer since he’d been fucked, so he could hardly be blamed for losing his train of thought at the first sight of Mendi’s dick standing at attention. Just the thought of Mendi sliding inside him sent a rush of want down his spine, and he tightened his grip and slid the pad of his thumb over the head of Mendi’s cock.

The noise Mendi made would have been funny if it wasn’t so hot. He sounded surprised, as though he hadn’t really expected Greg to go through with it. His hand slid around the back of Greg’s neck, dragging him forward for another hard kiss. Greg sighed into it, lips parted and his free hand sliding around Mendi to grip his ass and pull him even closer.

“Listen,” Greg murmured when they came up for air, his breath hot against Mendi’s mouth, “it’s been a while for me.”

“Me too,” Mendi said, hand in Greg’s hair now, fingers massaging his scalp, and that was distracting.

“So what do you say we make a deal that if it’s terrible, we call a do-over?”

Greg grinned when Mendi laughed, then he pressed a surprisingly soft kiss to Greg’s lips. “Deal.”

“Great,” Greg murmured as Mendi eased him backwards, following Greg down to stretch out on top of him. He was heavy, solid and warm and leaning in to kiss Greg slow. Like they had all the time in the world, and they both knew that wasn’t true, but it was nice to pretend for a while.

It was nice to forget about the Colonel and the team, about the recs and the next settlement that might send out a distress signal. It was nice to forget that they were soldiers fighting a neverending war, trapped in an island with only a force field holding the horrors outside at bay. It was nice to forget that they were the first line of defense against those horrors, and that the fate of civilization rested on their shoulders.

They all tried not to dwell on it too much; they knew they’d only drive themselves crazy thinking about it that way, and anyway if Greg thought about it too long he always started to feel a little hopeless. 

It wasn’t the same kind of hopeless he’d felt back at the Pentagon, when he failed physical exam after physical exam and assumed he’d never be allowed in the RCF. Back then it had felt like he had no future at all, but now when he worried about the future, he worried that he wouldn’t have as much time with his friends as he wanted. He never thought about the future in terms of spending it with one person, but if he was going to get involved with someone on his team...well. That changed things.

And he liked Mendi, so he kind of liked the thought of there being something between them beyond just one night. Then again, they’d already been on a few dates, if he counted the post-mission drinks they’d gone out for since Mendi joined the team. Greg laughed to himself at the thought of accidentally dating Mendi, and when Mendi pulled away from Greg’s neck to frown down at him, Greg laughed even harder.

“Have we been dating all this time and I didn’t know it?”

“You really are a pathetic excuse for a genius,” Mendi said, shaking his head and shifting his weight until he wasn’t pinning Greg to the mattress anymore. And that wasn’t the effect Greg had been going for, but when Mendi reached between them to close his fist around Greg’s cock, he bit his lip and decided not to complain.

Instead he closed his eyes, back arched and fingers clenched around the sheets on either side of him as he rocked up into Mendi’s grip. He could feel the weight of Mendi’s stare, knew he was watching Greg flushed and panting and fighting for more. He might have blushed at the thought of someone like Mendi looking at _him_ , but he was already flushed with want and his brain was too fried to let him worry about how he looked.

“Please say you have some lubricant in your quarters,” Greg said, reaching out with one hand to grip Mendi’s strong forearm. As soon as Greg touched him Mendi looked up, gaze locked on Greg’s face and his eyes darker than Greg had ever seen them. “Because I’m really going to need you to fuck me.”

Mendi let out a growl that sent a shudder through Greg’s entire body. He pressed forward to kiss Greg hard, breathing harshly through his nose and pressing Greg back into the mattress. Then he was gone, climbing off the bed and disappearing and even though Greg knew where he’d gone, it was hard not to go after him and drag him back to bed. It was worth the wait when Mendi reappeared in the doorway, pausing to look at Greg as though he was just as surprised as Greg that this was actually happening. 

Greg pushed himself up on his elbows and watched Mendi cross the room to sit down on the edge of the bed, then he watched as Mendi flipped the top on the lube and spread some on his fingers. From this close up even his fingers looked impossibly big, and Greg felt the tremble in his stomach as he turned over and pushed his legs apart.

He heard the sharp intake of breath behind him, felt the warmth of Mendi’s hand as he ran his palm down Greg’s spine to curve around his ass. “Did you picture this?”

“I never got this far,” Greg admitted, his voice muffled against his arms. “I kind of pictured you going for somebody like Muldoon, to tell you the truth.”

Mendi didn’t answer right away. Instead he slid his hand a little lower to pull Greg’s cheeks apart, thumb sliding across Greg’s opening and sending a shiver up his spine. Greg took a deep breath, then another, and on his next exhale two slick fingers pushed inside him. 

“Oh...wow,” Greg said, forehead pressed against the mattress as he pushed back into Mendi’s touch.

“The Colonel’s not my type, even if I was willing to break protocol and sleep with a superior officer,” Mendi said, voice close to Greg’s ear as he pressed forward far enough to scrape his teeth across Greg’s shoulder.

“Believe me, I’ve never been so happy to be wrong,” Greg answered, but the words came out choked and breathy and he arched back at an impossible angle, trying to drive Mendi’s fingers even deeper while seeking more of his mouth at the same time.

Mendi straightened up, fingers twisting inside Greg as he maneuvered until he was kneeling on the mattress between Greg’s splayed legs. Greg rocked back into his fingers, cock rubbing against the mattress with each thrust and he wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last. It felt like he’d been hard for hours -- _days_ , even -- and the friction from Mendi’s bedspread was dragging him dangerously close to the edge.

“On your knees,” Mendi said, his fingers disappearing at the same moment, and Greg wanted to cry from the loss. His brain was so far beyond fried that he could barely understand what Mendi wanted, but when giant hands landed on his hips to drag him onto his knees, Greg managed somehow not to topple over. 

Mendi’s hand cupped his ass again, fingers stroking almost tenderly for a second. Then it was gone, and Greg bit his lip and craned his neck to catch sight of Mendi squeezing more lube onto his fingers to slick up his cock.

“Oh, God,” Greg murmured, forehead dropping onto his arms again and spreading his knees as far as he could on the mattress. He could feel Mendi behind him, the warmth of his skin and weight of his stare, the soft tickle of his breath as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the base of Greg’s spine.

“Ready?”

Greg nodded even though he wasn’t even close to sure he was ready for this. It was exactly what he’d asked for, though, and he wanted it more than he’d ever wanted anything. He heard Mendi’s deep breath, felt the softness of his touch as he pulled Greg open and spread more lube on Greg’s opening. It felt good, and before Greg knew what he was doing he was moaning and pushing back into Mendi’s touch.

The chuckle that got him was low and deep, and Greg felt it in his stomach. Then Mendi’s fingers were gone again, and something thicker was pressing into Greg. He relaxed and focused on his breathing, on the feeling of Mendi stretching him and filling him up in a way he’d never experienced before. Greg heard a surprised laugh and realized it was coming from him, then a hand slid up his back and Mendi sank a little deeper. 

“We are definitely doing this again,” Greg said, and it wasn’t a question, because he wanted to see Mendi’s face when he slid inside Greg. He wanted to straddle Mendi’s tree trunk thighs and sink onto his cock, wanted Mendi to bend him in half and fuck him hard and fast, then stretch out next to him and push back into him so he could take his time.

Mendi’s only answer was another kiss brushed across the back of his neck this time, but the motion drove him deeper inside Greg, spreading him wide and dragging a moan out of both of them. Greg’s fingers curled around the bedspread and he pushed back into Mendi, rolling his hips until Mendi hit the spot that made his whole body shudder. 

His arms shook and he locked his elbows, fighting to stay on his knees as Mendi rocked into him. It was hard enough to keep his balance on a regular day, but it was almost impossible with Mendi thrusting in and out of him like he’d been waiting for this moment since they met.

That thought was enough to make Greg shake even harder, and when Mendi pulled out abruptly Greg knew he’d noticed. A second later strong hands were on him to roll him onto his back, knees apart and pushed up toward his chest and Greg looked up to find Mendi staring down at him. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“Hey, if you want to do all the work, be my guest,” Greg said. He grinned and stretched his arms over his head, arching up when Mendi closed a hand around his wrists to pin them to the mattress.

His eyes flashed with a fierceness that made Greg swallow hard, then he pressed forward for a hard kiss. Greg gasped into it and slid his legs around Mendi’s waist, heels digging into the taut muscle of his back to drag him closer. Mendi growled low in his throat and let go of Greg’s wrists to reach between them. Fingers brushed across Greg’s opening and he tilted his hips up a little more, eyes sliding closed and his mouth dropping open on a sigh when Mendi slid back inside him.

Mendi’s hand slid under Greg’s thigh to hold him up, his other hand braced on the mattress next to Greg’s shoulder, and Greg wrapped his hand around Mendi’s forearm and held on. His fingers dug into Mendi’s skin hard enough to leave a mark as Mendi slammed into him, filling him up over and over. 

And now Greg’s heart was _really_ pounding; he pictured the look on Doc’s face if she could hear it and laughed, breathless and shaky and when Mendi slowed down a little Greg tightened his legs around Mendi’s waist to urge him on. Because the last thing he wanted was for Mendi to stop. He couldn’t remember the last time someone could turn him on and make him laugh at the same time, and there was no way he was giving it up.

Greg reached between them to close shaking fingers around his cock, grip tight and moving fast to match the pace of Mendi’s thrusts. His heart stuttered in his chest and he wondered vaguely if maybe Doc Helding was right and he really should be taking it easy. But if this was how he was going to die, he couldn’t think of a better way, so he clenched around the cock buried inside him to drag a groan out of Mendi.

The hand on his thigh pressed up, opening Greg impossibly wider until Mendi hit the spot inside him that made him gasp and buck up off the mattress. Mendi laughed, then he did it again, over and over until Greg clenched hard around him and came. He was still fighting to catch his breath when Mendi followed him over the edge, burying himself deep inside Greg and collapsing on top of him.

He was too warm and way too heavy, and Greg never wanted him to move. He wrapped his arms around Mendi’s back and held on, fingers stroking up and down sweat-slick skin while he waited for Mendi to catch his breath.

“That wasn’t terrible,” Mendi finally said, turning his face into Greg’s neck to murmur the words near his ear.

“No,” Greg agreed, still breathless from the solid weight pressing him into the mattress.

Mendi shifted his weight off Greg, sliding onto the mattress next to him to prop himself up on one elbow. “But we should still do it again, just to be sure.”

“In the interest of science,” Greg said, turning onto his side to face Mendi. 

Right. Science.” Mendi’s hand slid into Greg’s hair, easing Greg forward to grin against his mouth before he kissed Greg again. If he was sealing their deal or just getting a head start on the next time, Greg didn’t really care, as long as there was definitely a next time.

~

It was no surprise to anyone on the team when they were called out on another mission the next day. Greg had been hoping for a break, sure, but that was mostly because he’d woken up surrounded by soft blankets and hard muscle, and the last thing he wanted to do was get out of Mendi’s bed for any reason.

By the time they got back to Island City they were all worn out, even Mendi, though he was trying not to show it. Still, the Medbay scanners didn’t lie, and when Doc Helding saw their energy readings, she immediately ordered all of them to go to bed and not report back to duty for at least eight hours.

“That won’t be necessary,” Mendi said, and Greg rolled his eyes, because there wasn’t much Mendi could do without the rest of his team, even if his energy readings weren’t at rock-bottom.

“I’m afraid that’s not up to you, Lieutenant,” Doc said, drawing herself up in that way that told Greg she was gearing up for a fight.

And he knew Mendi, so he knew she’d get a fight if he didn’t do anything to stop it. He took a step forward, hand on the small of Mendi’s back and sliding as low as he dared when the rest of the team was nearby.

“Not to worry, Doc. I’ll make sure he gets some rest if I have to lock him in his bedroom myself.”

“Thank you, 23,” Doc Helding said with a smile. “It’s nice to see one of you taking your health seriously for a change.”

Greg grinned at her, then he pushed Mendi toward the hall as hard as he could. It was a little like trying to move a brick wall, but finally Mendi gave in and let Greg guide him out of the Medbay. He waited until they were out of earshot of the rest of the team before he looked over at Greg.

“And how exactly will locking us in my quarters get either of us any rest?”

“Hey, a promise is a promise,” Greg said, hand sliding along the top of Mendi’s ass before he let go to tap the holoport that would take them to the crew quarters. “Sleep first, _then_ I’ll let you wear us out again.”

Mendi laughed, but he didn’t argue, so Greg figured he was on board with the plan after all.


End file.
